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I have a question regarding copyright in OSM It said after I created an account that I could not use information from a copyright protected source, and what that tells me is that OSM can not include any information that can be found on a commercially owned map (like Google Maps). What confuses me about that is if that rule were enforced, OSM's map would have to either be completely blank or have 0% accuracy. Am I correct? Than how can a library on OSM also be found on Google Maps, and be just fine? What am I allowed to add to OSM? |
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You aren't allowed to add thing to OSM by copying another map unless the people who own the map have explicitly allowed it (and nearly all don't). However you can add things to OSM by going there in the real world and adding the things you see/find. This is one of the ways that OSM is created. |
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There is a misunderstanding. Of course OSM is allowed to include information that can also be found in commercial maps. The difference is that you are not allowed to copy information from commercial maps or other sources that are protected by a copyright. Also see the beginner's guide about collecting data as well as the Legal FAQ about contributing. 4
As an example, if I walk down to that library, collect the GPS coordinates of the entrance, write down the hours and name on the front door, and then use that information to add the library to OSM, I haven't used any copyrighted sources.
(11 Dec '14, 17:54)
alester
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